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BBC environment analyst Roger Harrabin has responded to criticisms that the corporation has given too much coverage to the Fukushima nuclear disaster – at the expense of the rest of the Japan tsunami story – and that it has been too trusting of reassurances from the nuclear industry.

Writing on the BBC College of Journalism blog he says:

“At the heart of this lies the paradox that Fukushima is likely to deal a huge blow to the world’s planned nuclear renaissance even though statistically it will probably show that nuclear power is relatively safe – especially if you are using a modern, self-cooling plant and manage to place it out of the reach of tsunamis.”

Explaining why the BBC has given so much coverage to Fukushima he adds: “…in news terms the tsunami looks like a terrible, terrible natural disaster – but one that is in the past, as opposed to one which will affect energy choices made all around the world.”